DESPITE the inconvenience in which the weather causes unusual delays to British rail transport during summer. It was a forgettable shortcoming for what was to be the concert of the week as the Grandmaster of Soul James Brown teased Liverpool at the summer pops.

A tentative hour wait for the 4,500 strong crowd yearned every minute of the hour delay for the self-acclaimed General of Soul, 70, as he took to the stage in epic glitz, style and a shameless entourage that provided a feast to the eye.

A no nonsense and almost endless introduction with a cast of 14 musicians and singers, entertained with an audacious church like concert celebrating hits that spanned 3 generations, Brown brazenly teased with 'Do you feel good?' addressing the bleating audience. Indeed this was an event that attracted many things including a host of celebrities such as Brookside cast member (Mick Johnson) Louis Emerick.

However, the sweltering heat of the tent that baked in one of the hottest days of the year, gave way to a delicious ice-cool confectionery of old hits such as 'Sex Machine', 'Living in America' and 'Get up', leaving the purpose built seats seemingly useless as the crowd paid homage to their idol.

Settling down to a peaceful pace was certainly not on the agenda as Brown motored into 'Funky Good Time' and 'I'm back' with 20 minutes gone. There seemed no end to this man's energy as he careered into a two-hour set that saw Brown dance in the masterful soul-statesman like manner in that many have become accustomed over the years.

But if this was not enough, the frantic appeals for songs were met with Brown's mastery of a church like ceremony that saw an audience eating out of his hands with the taunt 'Do you feel good?' repeatedly. Until finally it came after the touching performance of 'It's a man's world' - which tested the soul generals voice to the limits and 'Respect. Brown capitulated to his adoring fans with the finale that he had been teasing them with throughout.

This concert may yet be Brown's last in Liverpool for reasons that his voice and age have seen better days. But an almost religious affinity with this concert for the fans will see this concert go down as the most memorable in the history of Liverpool in recent times.

If you've got any musical prowess then you were there with me, packed into the
Masque's Theatre bar alongside thousands of revellers all after the same thing. Magic. And that's exactly what it
was…. and more.

Liverpool's finest, Yousef, was first up and warmed up the eager crowd with a flawless two-hour set of funked up chunky house. All the biggies were there and by the time he had finished the music heads were well on it and gagging for a piece of Morillo.

Pacha's favourite DJ hit the decks at midnight and churned out a masterful three-hour set of tech-house meets groovy disco. He rocked the place with an eclectic mix of dance hits and timeless classics. All the favourites were there, from the Sound of Violence by Cassius to Danny Tenaglia's Music is the answer; there was something to please everyone.

For those wanting a bit of extra space to practice those wild dance moves, Fly Life was on hand in the Bar to provide the spaced out crowd with a special bit of lounge music. Playing a little piece of everything and plenty of Latino house meets old skool garage, Fly Life provided the perfect place to shake those hips.

Circus attracts a cool mix of people, from the perfectly groomed fashionistas to the serious all night clubber. The night provides on a platter everything you sure looking for and perhaps a little bit too much.

The next Circus Party will be held at the Masque in Liverpool on August 1st and will feature Yousef, Deep Dish (Yoshitoshi), Ralph Lawson, Lewis Boardman and Will Jazz. Don't miss it.

Circus...

Gig Review by natasha piscitelli

Government backing to SeaScape Energy has given a firm boost to Merseyside's first offshore wind farm, as it announces a second round of proposed sites around the coast of the UK.

Work will start on the 30 turbine Burbo Offshore Wind Farm in 2005 following the
Department of Trade and Industry's approval of the SeaScape project
this week.

Project Manager Adrian Maddocks said,
"This is great news and means we can
drive forward our vision of providing clean, renewable energy in the
UK. The project, named Burbo Offshore, will be sited just off the Burbo Bank, a large
sandbank near the entrance to the River Mersey, and will be more than six
kilometres from the coasts of Crosby and New Brighton.

We have worked very hard to ensure the project will have as little visual impact possible. The turbines' distance from the shores on both banks of the river will make them appear as little more than matchsticks on the horizon."